1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to an information processing apparatus and especially to an information processing apparatus for suggesting operations of a user performed on an electronic file.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various types of operations that can be performed on electronic files stored in a computer.
Such operations on electronic files include direct operations on electronic files such as copying, transfer, deletion, and the like, operations performed on applications such as transmission of an attachment to an electronic mail message, printing using an application, and the like, operations on electronic files performed by applications such as editing using a document editor, compression for reducing a file size, and the like.
Description of operations performed on electronic files also involve various conditions such as a transfer destination of an electronic file, a transmission destination of a file-attached electronic mail message, the number of printing of an electronic file, and the like.
Because of such a diversity of operations, computers have many functions of which users are unaware. For example, when it is possible to directly transmit electronic files in a computer via facsimile transmission, users unaware of such a function print a document on paper and then transmit the printed document via a facsimile, so that only a printing function is used on the computer.
Such a possibility that users do not recognize functions in this manner is increased in proportion as new functions are added and functions are more complicated. In view of this, the following methods have been frequently employed in order to suggest functions to users so as to make effective use of the computer.
One method is referred to as “Office Assistant”. Office applications such as word processing software, spreadsheet software, and the like, display functions which might be useful for users in a certain situation in a text message form.
The other method displays a window message for suggesting application functions as “useful functions” when starting an application.
However, these methods have the following problems.
Firstly, whether suggestion is suitable for a specific situation is uncertain. In particular, display upon starting up is mere suggestion of functions, so that whether such suggestion is necessary has no grounds.
Secondly, convenience of the suggestion is uncertain. When the display of functions is useful in a specific situation, operations such as clicking on a mouse, for example, are necessary in order to obtain the suggestion. Further, although the suggestion of functions is displayed, it is necessary to actually perform a displayed operation so as to accept the suggestion, so that users may feel that performing such an operation in accordance with instructions is inconvenient.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, it is necessary to suggest necessary functions on the scene in accordance with a user situation. In addition, functions to be suggested preferably include those functions users are unaware of.
Some electronic program guides of TV programs gather not only information on personal preference but also information on preference of others (preference of other users in the same home, in particular) and recommend TV programs (refer to Patent Document 1, for example) to users.
Patent Document 1: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/966,414
However, information processing apparatuses such as computers generally pose a problem in that the same operations are repeatedly suggested from an operation history of a single user, for example.